Ask Not What You Can Do For Your Country …

With the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination upon us, the clip of the most memorable line of his Inaugural Address, and probably of his entire presidency, has run over and over again on television. “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

The line has stayed with us for all these years, I think, in part because it is elegant. There is a rhythm to it, a cadence, a symmetry. Like most great observations, it’s brief. It’s easy to grasp. It resonates because, at some level, that’s how most of us back then wanted things to be.

Chris Matthews, who has written a book about JFK, says the line is “a hard Republican-sounding slap at the welfare state.” Yes. And that’s another reason so many Americans were so enthralled by his simple request. That Kennedy was a Democrat gave his plea to the American people even more power and legitimacy.

As I watched that old black and white film, and listened to JFK’s words, it occurred to me that I can’t imagine Barack Obama ever uttering such a message. If anything – and if he thought he could get away with it – he’d make his own simple, elegant, easy to understand plea: “Ask not what you can do for your country – ask what your country can do for you.”

And then he’d offer up a laundry list: Your government can offer you free food stamps, and free unemployment insurance that lasts almost two years, and free disability payments even if you aren’t disabled and applied because your unemployment benefits finally ran out, and free Obama phones, and, of course, free birth control pills.

No, President Obama didn’t come up with those programs (except for the birth control pills), but they all got bigger since he became president.

JFK, despite the fact that he was a Democrat from Massachusetts, was conservative on a lot of issues. He understood that cutting taxes, for instance – even for the wealthiest Americans — was a way to spur economic growth that would benefit everybody. Barack Obama has no such understanding. He once told an interviewer that he would be in favor of raising capital gains taxes – even if that would result in less tax revenues – because it was the “fair” thing to do.

Can you imagine anyone with even a simple grasp of economics saying something so breathtakingly stupid?

In his new book, JFK Conservative, Ira Stoll makes the point that in 1960 “the anti-Communist, anti-big government candidate was John F. Kennedy. The one touting government programs and higher salaries for public employees was Richard Nixon.”

Today, the only ones President Obama calls on “to do” for their country are the wealthy. They’re the ones who enable him to “spread the wealth around” as he told Joe the Plumber. I don’t recall him every calling on anyone else “to do” anything for their country.

Last year, Larry Kudlow wrote that, “Between 2008 and 2011, federal welfare payments have jumped 32 percent. Food stamps have surged, with 71 percent more spending on the program in 2011 compared with 2008. Health payments, principally Medicaid, have climbed 37 percent.

“By the way, it’s not just the deep recession and weak recovery that’s driving up these programs. It’s a substantial eligibility expansion, which started under George W. Bush, but has gone much further under President Obama.”

Kennedy knew that government was there to help those who needed help, temporarily. As Chris Matthews said, JFK’s most famous line was a slap at the welfare state. Barack Obama embraces the welfare state. Kennedy didn’t want government to be our nanny. That may be the biggest difference between JFK and BHO.

“Ask not what you can do for your country – ask what your country can do for you.” That is what Obama has been implying since 2006; even though he doesn’t say it.

Today both parties, Democrats and Republicans are not the same parties of the 50’s or even the 60’s. They have both moved even farther to the LEFT and why the Republican Party is splintering today.

The clear distinctions between then and now are becoming obvious to everyone, except today’s politicians.

semmy

Could there possibly be any more difference between “Ask not…” and “The life of Julia”? Only took 50 years.

D Parri

I expect to get a variety of answers on this one, but the centuries-old question still needs to be asked from time-to-time.

Why does government exist? Short or long, all answers are invited.

D Parri

Protection of our borders from foreign attack has got to be a fundamental purpose. This is obviously served by our military.

Organization of internal resources for the protection of individuals and the dispensation of justice for the protection of individuals rights. Among others, this is the DOJ’s primary responsibility and the SCOTUS is chief adjudicator with respect to Constitutional bearing within the law.

keith hart

The government’s charge is to protect the liberty of its citizens from all threats, foreign and domestic. Sworn to by oath under God.

D Parri

Right, and I think that it is the body politic that goes awry and gets us into trouble.

keith hart

yes. The body politic sounds good on paper. But, then you add people to it ………….. Wasn’t it de Tocqueville who said, “once citizens realizes they can vote themselves free money from the government coffers it is the end of the nation”.

D Parri

I’ll trust you on the reference…sounds good to me. It is a very apropos statement at any time.

keith hart

I pulled up his exact quote. “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” He published that in 1835.

I wonder how or why this was a concern to him so early on in US history. When we as a nation were still generations away from concepts of social engineering and welfare entitlements.

There is nothing in U.S. history in the 1830’s that I can find which indicated any Americans of that period even thought in those terms. I mean there were still debtor prisons in those days: don’t pay your bills, you don’t petition the govt for help, you go to jail.

D Parri

My guess, at this point, is that Congress had not made that revelation nor were they willing to stray from the straight and narrow to that degree. To use the public’s own funds for the purpose of securing political favor and, thus, political power would mean blatant misuse of the public trust engendered within our government’s administrative powers.

de Tocqueville managed to express this notion quite succinctly, and the substance of its truth can be seen in no clearer a manifestation than today’s entitlement-bound and debt-riddled nation. In order to maintain its powers within the framework of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has repeatedly forsworn its duties and responsibilities to manage the debt and spending controls of our country under a proper model.

I believe that de Tocqueville could foresee the potential for this threat.

keith hart

The only solution to this, I can see, is provide for the prohibition of professional public office holders. No more congress people in office 20 – 30 years. Term limits.

And belay the argument election day is a built in term limit — its now widely known an incumbant has a 5 to 1 advantage over a challenger, thanks to lobbyist money.

House members get one 3 year term — that’s it. Senate members get one 6 year term. That’s more than enough time for them to do the maximum amount of damage they can and secure their own financial fortunes.

McCain-Feingold had it ass backwards. So long as you keep trying to stop bribe giving, you keep providing better and better loopholes.

Better to make bribe offering completely legal; but , make bribe taking an offense requiring 20-30 years of making piles of large rocks into piles of small rocks — with no cable or workout weights.

keith hart

While I’m at it — on this topic. Its just as important to eliminate congress traditions of seniority. Why should a congressional district of a 20 year veteran have more power than a congressional district of an incoming freshman?

Strip the congress of majority, minority leaders and whips. Committee and sub-committee chairs are selected by a random draw.

D Parri

I fear that is the essence of the problem…where can we expect the ‘will’ to come from for Congress to self-monitor? As you said, the problems within our government can be solved but it will require sacrifices that I’m afraid the current body politic are not willing to make.

keith hart

The ”will” will come from the people. Thanks to our current president more and more people will be feeling increasing pain coming from government action. That will focus a lot of people’s attention. The Tea Party uprising was only a harbinger. If East Germans are willing to brave Stazi retaliation in 1989, if Russians are willing to face KGB retaliation in 1991, then I bet Americans are willing to brave MSNBC retaliation.

D Parri

The will has to come from the people. It is quite telling that the name of the most successful conservative initiative in recent history was borrowed from the British colonists who had a grievance in the 1750’s and 1760’s.

The impetus for the birth of our nation was a result of England’s usurping of the colonists right to speak in the British Parliament while at the same time burdening the colony’s with taxes no less cumbersome as any other British colony. The tax protest became the linchpin for the American Revolution, and the Tea Party became its symbolic icon.

I sometimes wonder how far away we are from another revolutionary act which may be taken up for the purpose of returning the representative voice back to those who carry the tax burden for our nation.

D Parri

Keith, I feel that while the solution may include some of these measures, today’s congressional operations are such a convoluted system of processes and administrative structure that it won’t be a simple procedure to ‘untie’ the obligatory, self-sustaining commitments that have been exchanged throughout Congress in order to muster political favor.

Obviously, the focus should be placed on removing the incentives for lawmakers to violate the public trust for the purpose of personal gain.

keith hart

If it’s true that words have a precise meaning — all 46,000 of them in the English language. Then what is the difference between ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’?

D Parri

Actually, that’s an excellent question. I say that because it requires you to think about what they both mean, and I believe that although they share many similarities in usage there are some important distinctions. This answer will probably be multi-part in format.

“Freedom” speaks to the enumerated rights of individuals or entities within the structure of a governing society. This is akin to a ‘contract’ between society and the individual.

“Liberty” does not regard specific rights but rather a state of being unfettered in being able to exercise individual choices. It may or may not be used in reference to an individual’s position within society.

username144

Government exists as a source of protection from the excesses of capitalism.

D Parri

It is pretty obvious that many people have quoted JFK–there is substance and honesty in what he promoted. That is a mark of a true leader.

D Parri

JFK would have been disgusted by the direction that Obama has led our country. Kennedy knew what it meant to commit your life to the service of your country.

Obama is committed to fundamentally transforming the nation summing that JFK would have undoubtedly fought to prevent.

keith hart

I have a post formatting question, if I may? To which I have not found an answer upto now. I see the spacing between your paragraphs. I would like that ability. Its seems to escape me. All I get is one big paragraph. Perhaps you would tell me how you accomplish this. When I post, I use MS wordpad: to correct syntax, grammar, spelling. I wish to avoid burdening any readers of enduring sloppy writing. Then I ‘copy’ and ‘paste’ to the post bar. All of my formatted paragraphs come thru as one big paragraph — hard on the eyes. Would you please advise, how you do it.

D Parri

Absolutely, glad to help. Whenever you want to insert a break for paragraph formatting, hold down the shift button and press enter. I usually do this twice in order to get a clean break between the paragraphs. If that

keith hart

D Parri, thank you much for your help on this formatting consternation.

Everything I previously tried served only to increase vexation.

Again, thank you ever so much. A grateful, Keith.

D Parri

Anytime, my friend. And…it looks good!

Jeff Webb

It has happened to me before, and what worked for me was hitting enter one extra time. : )>

keith hart

Thanks, Jeff

plsilverman

Now Bernie, you’ve done it again: written an unfair and imbalanced blast against Barack Obama: Food stamps, unemployment, yeah, yeah, yeah: you write with ZERO awareness of why these rolls increased: the all out WAr on Blue Collar started by McConnell & his fake REpublicans on 01-20-09: send back stimulus money, block as many infrastructure contracts as possible, outsource as many production jobs as possible, encourage as many hostile takeovers of still viable plants…how does these disgraceful actions LOWER unemployment and welfare and food stamps rolls? AND WHY do you automatically have to compare these Presidents? further, you think JFK would not have been proud of Obama? > (1) as a genuine compromiser with compromised extremists and leader for healthcare reform; restorer of the automobile industry which THRIVED under JFK; the guy who got us out of the War for Halliburton; (2) as an African American man, son of a hippie wanderer and absentee Father, who made it 1600.

keith hart

plsilverman, we must be living in reverse, parallel universes. I don’t recognize your Obama.

D Parri

Why did Obama re-write it to say “Ask what you can do TO your country”…? Oh yeah, that’s part of the ‘fundamental transformation’ that he was pushing during his campaign. It makes sense that way.

Gratefulconservative

This is why so many prior democrats have switched parties because the party left them, not visa-versa. The dems have been taken over primarily by left-wing radicals who obviously have been surviving off nanny for so long, they are clueless as to how to depend on themselves!!!!!

keith hart

Two little kids, a girl six, a boy five were peering through the narrow opening of a door slightly ajar. Suddenly they ran down the hall, down the stairs into the kitchen. The boy said to his sister, “what are mommy and daddy doing?” The girl said, “I don’t know. But daddy looked like he was winning.” The point is people can see clearly what’s in their face and not know what they’re looking at. All this discussion of Obama and JFK: are they similar, are they dissimilar? Tells me people are not seeing what’s clearly in their face. So, what are we looking at? The burial of America as a land of Liberty. Where the government has forsaken its charge to protect the liberty of its citizens and has taken up an activist role in transforming us into good, little obedient drones — so very managed and controlled for our ‘own good’. By people for whom everything they touch, run or control turns to dysfunctional cr3p. Always. Everytime. It’s the only thing they do not fail at. Why is that? Two reasons. Their ideology is riddled with cognitive dissonance — like Bonnie and Clyde’s Packard. And unintended consequences stick to their actions like flies on sh3t. The only hope Liberty in America has at this point — among people who look but do not see — is the rising level of personal pain will awaken the citizenry. Surely, reason hasn’t gotten the job done upto this point. An ancillary condition to this circumstance is the sweet, sublime Schadenfreude of watching the lefties deal with self inflicted wounds as Obama’s base is hit the hardest and takes the most painful damage. While I mark the calendar until november 2014.

Bob C

Back in the year 2002, before the dust had settled, an African American co-worker of mine referred to 9/11 as an event that occurred “to you”.
In response I asked him, “What do you mean ‘to you’ …aren’t you an American?”
“Sh*t,’ he said, “what has America done for me lately?”
Totally flabbergasted I said, “What has America done for you??? …America isn’t SUPPOSED to do anything for you. America affords you the freedom to do for yourself.”
I think he got it.

D Parri

Sometimes it takes those eye-opening moments and the reflections of others in order to correct our perceptions. It sounds like you helped your co-worker gain, or recover, a better understanding.

legal eagle

Another of Bernie’s “good old days” columns….50 years later and the baby boomers long for the days when America entered into another never ending war in Southeast Asia…Jack Kennedy was a playboy, Bobby was the brains.

Tim Ned

You are right. We long for the days when the vast majority of Americans were participating in the American Dream, not sucking off of it.

legal eagle

You have a short memory….White folks have always been bitchin about colored folks on welfare…

Jeff Webb

>>You have a short memory….White folks have always been bitchin about colored folks on welfare…<<

Translation: "Darn! I can't debate that–better pull the race card."

D Parri

That shows you just how shallow they are. The really weird thing is they think they see others as shallow but they cannot recognize it in themselves. Must be even more of a loss upstairs than is obvious.

Integrity

I see you are back at it. You ignore the point of the article and only offer your childish rants in lieu of substantive comments. Admit it – Obama owns you. Therefore, you are incapable of any independent thought or analysis. You are the cultist. How self-unaware can you be?! QED

Is the Chris Mathews you mention in your article, the same one who “gets a thrill up his leg every time he hears Obama”? If it is, there is something wrong with the guy’s perception.

plsilverman

*Matthews “gets a thrill up his leg”
*Pelosi “writes bills so she can read them”
*Obama says “you can keep what you got”…
can you guys pleeze come up some new stuff, even if it is out of context gaffes by Dems? I think even the RNC is getting tired of those mantras. give us some new stuff and no problem, only list gaffes of the Left, none from the Right.

Obama’s is a social agenda taken up for the purpose of implanting his legacy upon this nation via political changes in our government. We have witnessed his direction for our country and I believe that the ‘fundamental changes’ that he spoke of during his election campaigns could not be over-emphasized.

If nationalized insurance and socialized medicine are goals of yours, then Barack Hussein Obama is your man.

If pre-emptive executive powers that effectively rewrite the principles set forth in our Constitution are your goals, then Barack Hussein Obama is your man.

If an ever-expanding government footprint upon the American way of life is your goal, then Barack Hussein Obama is your man.

If you are not concerned about the impracticality of continued borrowing from our future generations in order to fund the nanny state of today’s government, then Barack Hussein Obama is your man.

This is what is referred to as “fundamental change”.

plsilverman

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!! yay!! THREE times!!!! yay! we must always be reminded that this enemy of America is always a friend of guys with names like….HUSSEIN!!!!!!>>>>>”socialized medicine”!!! yay! I’m, very sure the 42 million (to be) insured plus the 80 to 95% of the remainder who WILL keep what they got and the remaining 5% who can go to an exchange if their provider does what they normally do to Individual clients, kick them off or limit & cap them, I’m very sure those folk will want to go back to the old system when they learn how comee-pinko the plan is. BUT NOT FOLKS residing in Massachusetts. dig it.
I like your brainwashing technique, by the way, emphasize HUSEEIN and “he is your man”. very adept. Foxnews has mastered it!

D Parri

I really don’t know what world you live in but it apparently is not anything close to reality. BTW, Hussein is his name…it sounds like you are not very proud of that fact. Too bad.

plsilverman

I’m not proud or un-proud of anyone’s NAME. But it (“Hussein”, esp. sarcastically by folk hero Palin) is used derisively by the right, as a red flag saying that he is truly an enemy, not a friend. howz that? is that in the….”real world”?

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

Are you saying that if Sarah Palin’s middle name was “Bin Laden”, the left wouldn’t be repeating that all of the time? lol.

Personally, I don’t like it when conservatives incessantly bring up our president’s middle name. I think it’s tacky. But it’s absolutely nothing compared to the many, many nasty things the left routinely says about Sarah Palin.

Even YOU must admit that, Phillip.

plsilverman

even ME? why the sarcasm? and why are back to trying to harass me? 🙂 >>>Palin’s mention of “Hussein” as middle name is PARTICULARLY sarcastic and embarrassing, that’s all. >>>>I got your point. Palin’s obnoxiousness should be dismissed because the Left can be equally obnoxious, at times. > yes, it’s always instructive to get that GOP literary technique…never criticize / never critize TOO LOUDLY a Conservative when a Liberal sometime in the past, acted as badly. Great distraction technique. Please…no more sarcastic nonsense in my inbox.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

>>even ME? why the sarcasm? and why are back to trying to harass me?

You’re joking, right?

>>Please…no more sarcastic nonsense in my inbox.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think an ‘inbox’ is?

D Parri

It appears that he loves to dish it out but he can’t stand the heat. He’s in the wrong place.

plsilverman

yeah, I love to dish it out to people who insult and harass me far beyond the guidelines of this site. you guyz wanna discuss any real issues? apparently not. Really amazing, you guys say I’m a writer of no consequence, a a typical Lib, but you still cannot resist initiating posts to me. I never called any individual a racist in my life, and in light of what you think of me as a commentator/writer, why then be so defensive? I’ve said 900 times, this is now a hate site which does not delete many racist STATEMENTS and that it’s very strange that a Bernie Goldberg site would APPEAR not to care about publishing racist statements, and all you guys know there are plenty of them found here. so cease & desist the personal attacks on me. although collecting them can be a very rewarding hobby.

It’s pretty telling that you’re trying to deny something that you were already forced to admit a few months ago.

Secondly, I’d like to take this opportunity on Thanksgiving Day to thank you, Phil, for your ongoing insistence that telling someone that they murdered a person is not the same as telling them they’re a murderer. I think it’s an absolutely fantastic distinction – clearly one that you’re very proud of for a reason I can’t quite identify. Well done!

funny….I’m happy to see that comment to Greta. of course she’s had racists on her show….if they are not IDed by name then the comment’s not valid? do you think that MSNBC has had racists on? why all of a sudden is it wrong to, for example, call a KKK guy a racist? PLUS..show me where I IDed anyone by name?>>>I have only replied to insults here, so your table-turning attempt flopped.

Of course, you then tried to fall back on the same nonsensical distinction that you always spew… but it of course made no sense after you had already revealed the Greta guests you were referring to.

So Phil, just so I can try and understand how your mind works: If I call you a racist, and then tell you that I never call anyone a racist, does that negate my original statement that you’re a racist?

plsilverman

you are one mighty fine imaginary prosecutor! yes, Coulter, Ingraham, Palin, O’Reilly, and Beck are racists in my book. they are highly paid celebrities who have made racist statements…all very verifiable. I have called no one of this site a racist. have you found any post which counters that? no. I’ve said that this site has published a lot of racist posts. even if I was mistaken about this site, which I am not – a poster who is not a racist/bigot should just laugh > if I am just some 10th writer who no one reads about or takes seriously. why the incredible defensiveness? Should I say that the head of the KKK is not a racist? >>>>>I think you have build a major cathedral around some kind of volley to this effect: “I’d rather watch Obama miss hoops” – to which I said “Now THAT is ‘racist'” – used QUOTATION MARKS” and then ADDED A HAPPY FACE >>>> after a long set of volleys on the subject of WHAT IS “racist”. that is ALL YOU GOT! which is nothing. now calm down. cease and desist. open up a book.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

Phil two hours ago: “I never called any individual a racist in my life”

I can us this post in my conference with my lawyer. > I don’t like to be called “a liar”. You know exactly what my meaning was and yet opportunistically use my informal statement to insult and harass me. I’m surprised a published writer like yourself, a public figure, would be stalking a blogger trying to “corner” him for no good reason, parsing statements as if I am on trial. > Those individuals, like InGraham and Limbaugh, have made racist statements, yes. Your big concern, I thought, has always been how posters on the BG site are represented. how does that carry over to public figures who are obvious racists like Rush? tell ya what? you don’t like being called a bigot ..I don’t like being called a liar. difference is, I never called you a bigot/racist. how about finally agreeing to cease and desist the head games and the harassment? you have a big career to protect. why try to screw things up bothering a poster on the BG site who you believe has no credibility?

I would have a conversation with you, or JD, or KH, or many others, but your comments always go one way and what you get is what you try to give.

Cease and desist? I don’t know who you think you are trying to fool…yourself?

plsilverman

why the continuous harassment…”brother”?

D Parri

You think a response is harassment? Maybe you should chill a little.

plsilverman

I did not start this “volley”, did I? I know harassment when I see it. I know libel when I see it. And it’s all documented. now, do ya want to discuss any subject in the above Commentary or continue to insult?

You don’t need to try and reconcile these two contradicting statements that you made in this forum, in this thread, only two hours apart. You lied. Period.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

Not only that, but we went through this exact same exercise 3 months ago as well. I guess he thought there was a statue of limitations on lying.

Jeff Webb

Glad you’re back, Phil. If I may have an aside for a moment: the last time I asked you something I either didn’t get an answer from you, or you did answer and I failed to read it.

In response to some of my past comments you didn’t like, you’ve said that I wouldn’t say them to your face. What I wanted to know is why wouldn’t I? What would happen if I did say them?

Thanks in advance.

plsilverman

let’s see: I have said you would never say a lot of those sarcastic, personal attacks on me in person. No one would. The rest I leave to your imagination.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

How is he insulting you, Phil? He’s asking you a very simple, straightforward question, which you’re refusing to answer, I assume you won’t answer because you’re embarrassed to have been taken to task for making such juvenile comment in the first place. If that’s the case, just came out and say that. I bet it will make you feel better about yourself.

plsilverman

why are speaking for him? and why are you still trying to harass me after I asked to stop filling up my e-mail inbox with your bizarre statements about me? I ask U to cease and desist.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

I’ll go ahead and explain this to you again, Phil…

This is public forum. It’s not your personal email inbox. Email is used for private messaging. Forums are used for public discussion.

I expect this lack of basic computer literacy from my parents, but not from some guy who’s been posting here for a couple of years now.

Please do us all a favor and take an Internet workshop at a nearby community college. I think you’ll really benefit from it.

plsilverman

later 4 the sarcasm although at this point I think you have some kind of fetishistic urge to communicate with me. I got engaged 11-12 to a nice girl, so I have no interest in any such passion with a dude, symbolically or otherwise. (not that there’s anything wrong with it). >>>when I see “disques” in my inbox then jump to BG and see you, I feel harassed, esp. knowing that you will use no facts, figures, quotable quotes, just insults. worse than that, it’s boring. You’ve convinced me and others that you have no facts to discuss, so it’s a given that your communications w me are one-sided agenda points. Please stop the nonsense. I do communicate with a lot of folks on this site and all over the place who I won’t agree with in 100 lifetimes but they use facts and are non-sarcastic and fishing for that golden “gotcha”.

I Hate Fascists

Congratulations bro!

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

Fetish? This is the first time I’ve replied to one of your posts in months.

I’m honestly just trying to help you, man. You don’t seem to have any understanding of what a public forum is, so I’m trying to help you get through this.

Freaking out when someone responds to one of your posts sounds like a symptom of Schizophrenia. Asking you to defend a statement you made shouldn’t trigger a PTSD-like reaction.

In all seriousness, you might want to seek out some help. Really.

plsilverman

PTSD reaction is not a funny situation, is it? a lot of people have that condition. I have some of that because of a car accident>>>Schizophrenia? get help? nice. re. your perceived “fetish”…I have a record of enough of your passionate yet negative posts in my direction, to justify using that word. now please cease and desist. by the way, I don’t like being publically identified as someone in need of psychiatric help.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

I wasn’t making a joke. I’m telling you that that’s how you’re coming across. If you can’t recognize that, it’s all the more reason for you to seek some help. Seriously.

plsilverman

really? gee whiz? I’m coming across to you a certain way..that’s too bad…especially, in light of my thoughtful, fact-filled comments, always civilized. how do *you* “come across” as an insult machine? now..for the last time..please stop this nonsense. you have not referenced one single point addressed in the BG commentary in maybe your last 20 posts, all personal, and all useless for everyone. please stop this behavior. > I do sense you are acting on behalf of others, in many caases, trying to coax some kind of response from me that you can, as we say, on the streets, “boom-offa”. you should go back and re-read the above Commentary and stick to those points…and please direct your statements to someone other than me.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

Fact-filled comments? All you do is race-bait, parrot Chris Mathews, and threaten to sue people who call you out on your absurd statements.

I’d respond to the rest of your post, but quite frankly, I didn’t understand of word of it. A completely nonsensical diatribe.

plsilverman

race-bait…man, you are obsessed…”threaten” not 4 absurdities but for vile personal attacks on my character. now please cease & desist.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

It really is a parody of a parody, isn’t it folks?

D Parri

Yes.

D Parri

JD, please, please, please…recommend him to Obamacare. Please!

Jeff Webb

>>why are speaking for him?(sic)<<

It's not like he was speaking for me, Phil. It was a simple statement from someone observing the comments.

However, just as I have always tried to do with my colleagues here, John has had a pretty fair grasp of it on the few occasions he has spoken on my behalf.

Jeff Webb

>>I have said you would never say a lot of those sarcastic, personal attacks on me in person.<>The rest I leave to your imagination.<<

Your reluctance is understandable; you no doubt figured you'd be banned if you admitted you were making veiled threats. And yes, you know that's exactly what you were doing–in case you're now thinking of trying to walk this back with some innocuous answer, don't.

Just so you know, I wouldn't have kicked you out if you had responded honestly.

It wouldn't be right for you to have to pay now for all the previous times you made that statement, but from this point forward, any threat you make (subtle or not) might result in your removal, and absolutely will result in deletion of your post. Remember, this also applies if anybody submits a complaint for one of your false racism accusations.

I Hate Fascists

That’s Fascism for you. Welcome to the club Phil!

plsilverman

“veiled threats”. that in itself is a threat to me. you are calling me a bullying, bellicose individual, which is an insult and a flag that I’m someone that authorities need to *watch*. Saying that you write things to me that you would not say in person is in no way an invitation to a physical “challenge”, is it? hypothetical: someone insults the h*ll out of YOU on a blog. Do you believe that individual would say those words to you, in person? 🙂

Jeff Webb

>>Saying that you write things to me that you would not say in person is in no way an invitation to a physical “challenge”, is it?<> hypothetical: someone insults the h*ll out of YOU on a blog. Do you believe that individual would say those words to you, in person? :)<>”veiled threats”. that in itself is a threat to me.<>you are calling me a bullying, bellicose individual, which is an insult<<

If you're going to make false accusations against people, threaten to report them with no cause, and use the "face" comment, that is not an insult.

That's the big problem with people like you–you say or do something out of line, and then tell others they're out of line for reacting to it.

plsilverman

not bad. A-. still meaningless. but passionate!

D Parri

Jeff, take a look at his response. SliverMan responded that your comment was “not bad” “passionate…”–it appears he was rating you on the degree of how much he had riled you.

This is what PillSliverman is all about, and it has nothing to do with the issue at hand relating to Bernie’s article.

He’s a dunce.

Jeff Webb

>>This is what PillSliverman is all about, and it has nothing to do with the issue at hand relating to Bernie’s article.<<

I'm the one who started the off-topic conversation, not Phil.

Perhaps some do come here to rile up others, but I wouldn't say that's what Phil's about. To wit: he visits an open forum, expects his comments to be exempt from responses, and tries to shut up people who do respond using whatever tactic he can come up with. What Phil is all about is the standard liberal mindset: being entitled to status that is denied to everybody else.

I wouldn't say he's a dunce. However ridiculous is it to like BO or what he stands for, I'd say Phil does so because he's misguided, not dumb.

D Parri

I appreciate your comments, and I would agree that “dunce” is probably not the most accurate term I could have used but it conveyed my sentiment nonetheless.

In Mr. Pill’s response to my comment which opened this thread he referred to my “brainwashing technique” being very adept and gave credit to Fox News as being “masters” of it. I was not particularly impressed with the intelligence of his response, and whether misguided or not I don’t think that he exhibits a point of view worthy of debate. His acrimonious speech becomes rather boring after a while–there’s nothing worthwhile to read.
So, based upon a standard of whether he ever adds anything to the conversation or not I would have to say that his rhetoric is near the same level as the dunce that I originally characterized him to be.

If his comments do not faithfully represent his intelligence, then perhaps he should consider changing his style.

I Hate Fascists

Hey Pops, you have a problem with me don’t take it out on Phil. You started this. Not Phil.

D Parri

With a good enough imagination you can believe anything that you can brainwash yourself into thinking.

plsilverman

bro’, you want it all: you want to insult me in print and then get away with insulting me a second time to my face. you are one tenacious dude.

D Parri

It don’t see you letting go.

D Parri

Harass you? How about “brainwashing technique”? Those were comments directed at me.

All I can say is, if you had a brain…it could sure use some washing!

plsilverman

yes, your repetitions are in that chemistry. nothing illegal. 🙂

D Parri

No, so when you find a brain…then please wash it before using.

D Parri

Not making excuses or apologizing. I have used the last name, title & last name, and various other forms in identifying our current POTUS. Make no mistake, when I use the middle name I DO intend to emphasize his heritage…and there is a reason for it.

D Parri

Phillip…ok, now what is his middle name? ;~)

Lucifer?

plsilverman

no, no…..the “Hussein” is always referred to sarcastically, as it is supposed to imply that he is really aligned with guys with names like that, [radical] Muslims, etc. don’t you follow Lady Sarah?? and the way she emphasizes his middle name? 🙂

D Parri

Don’t you follow Daddy Obama? He is aligned toward the Muslim nation–that is why he is not in the least bit worried about destroying this nation’s healthcare insurance industry.

plsilverman

got any evidence? 🙂 >>>destroy what? the ability to deny precondition coverage and spike, limit and cap coverage…drop a client on a whim? 🙂

D Parri

His actions are proof enough…unless you are deaf, dumb and blind…and missing a brain.

D Parri

“Lady Sarah” ? You really are a hypocrite. So quit asking that you be treated with kid gloves at the same time you are dishing out your own warmed-over crap.

I’m assuming that the (jk) is a placeholder for a joke emoticon. I don’t understand what the “ex-HALF” reference means.

plsilverman

she split after half her term was completed.

D Parri

Good grief! You will try to grab onto anything to create a fight in order to support your friend Hussein Obama, won’t you?

The real insanity is in the fact that when there is nothing to debate…you will make something up! What did your buddy characterize that as…a “manufactured crisis”? Good luck.

keith hart

I find lefties have a predictable tactic: point to other “bad behavior” — if there is none, they fabricate it — to excuse their own bad behavior. Then they quickly move to a strawman argument. The sophistry is not subtle but palpable.

The predictive value of being aware of this leftie tactic is: when they employ it, they realize they’ve painted themselves into a corner.

They find themselves up against the ropes. When you have them against the ropes — pound the hell outa’ them. Don’t let them slip away. Hear that Speaker Boehner?

D Parri

Yes, I see that happening all the time with the Demo-heads. It is dishonest and without substance…thus, a ‘strawman’.

To their credit, they have been fairly good at distraction using that technique. To their discredit, they have lost enormous amounts of integrity and believability employing their number one tool.

keith hart

Exactly. Obama has a weakness for strawman arguments — railing against something or someone that doesn’t exist. That he has created to be his target for the sake of his argument. Its well within his comfort zone. It is not a strength.

But, his arrogance does not allow him to see that. He is blind to the reality of while he is in the midst of one of his strawman arguments he fails to see, looking out over the assembled crowd the increasing number of faces expressing “WTF?”

A news report earlier today, offhandedly reported Obama is getting an increasing number of hecklers at his campaign speeches. And does he bristle.

keith hart

Obama is an enemy by his actions not his name, not his skin color, not his background, not his place of birth — his actions. Get it?

D Parri

That is what they cannot defend. It is why they always want to change the issue in order to muster any support for him. It is his agenda. Period.

keith hart

Amen to that. That’s why I won’t engage on their terms. It always comes back to his actions.

keith hart

plsilverman, you do live in a reverse parallel universe — don’t you? Oh, by the way Massachusetts folks don’t dig it — not in this universe.

Wil

Bernie, What have you done to done for your country, other bitch and complain. I served two years in the US Army, how about you?

Jeff Webb

Obama didn’t serve in the military at all, and what he mostly does (besides bitch & complain like a pathetic little girl) is muck up everything in his path without remorse.

You’re a petulant little liberal troll first, concerned American last, Wil. Lose the phony indignation–however much you care about this country depends on the party in office, and you know it.

legal eagle

I watched Bernie on Real Sports bitching about Russian political corruption….Bernie seems to long for the days when ignorance was bliss…

Jeff Webb

Look, I know you can’t stand seeing anything unflattering about Obama, but do you really think characterizing criticism of him as racism and/or whining is going to make it stop?

Debate is a battle of ideas, and you’re firing blanks.

legal eagle

Constructive criticism takes thought…You and Bernie just take the other side of every argument…..This isn’t supposed to be a trial where you are hired to advocate for your client.
In the words of Paul McCartney “you say goodbye and I say hello”….LOL

Jeff Webb

>>Constructive criticism takes thought..<<

Incessantly calling people a bunch of racist whiners who are stuck in the past is the mark of someone scared to death of thought.

legal eagle

I call racist whiners racist whiners….the truth is the truth..

Integrity

This is only your opinion and a stupid one at that. The sad thing is that you probably think you are brilliant. QED

D Parri

He is an idiot. I know why he is known as Legal Weasel.

Jeff Webb

Integrity, I’m responding here (due to some glitch) to your other comment directed at LE: I’m confident he’s on board with the rules regardless.

Integrity

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate that. One would think that his credibility, or lack thereof, would be important to him. QED

D Parri

Ok then, you are a racist whiner. Now, that was easy!

Jeff Webb

Buddy, you can do better than that–I’ve seen it. Next time think about putting in some effort.

I Hate Fascists

“Scared to death of thought” is you deleting all my comments when I confront you with the truth and you cannot handle the truth

Jeff Webb

>>“Scared to death of thought” is you deleting all my comments when I confront you with the truth and you cannot handle the truth<<

You're lying. You know very well what you did to get in trouble, as does anyone who has seen exchanges you've had with John Daly and me. Seriously, kiddo, you're in over your head.

For the benefit of anyone here who doesn't know which one of us is believable, answer two questions: A) Can you name one occasion where Legal Eagle, whose posts are almost always in disagreement with mine, has been deleted or banned? B) Did you or did you not post some inappropriate comments while pretending to be us?

I Hate Fascists

Legal Eagle is a thoughtful man very knowledgeable on a wide variety of issues who takes your insults and abuse with a grain of salt. I am not nearly as knowledgeable but I don’t tolerate BS from you, Daly, Perlutsky or any of you Fascists. You and I (and anyone who has seen the exchanges) know: (a) That you compared the Newtown parents to NAMBLA child molesters (b) That I posted comments using your names only after you deleted all my posts. (c) I know your game better than you do and beat you at it every time. I have laid this out in great detail before Pops, go back and read it. You were confronted with the truth, you could not handle the truth, and you took the cowardly way out.

Integrity

So you admit to criminal activity? I will issue you a thinking profile out of kindness. Hey LE – See who your supporters are? LOL QED

legal eagle

I appreciate all my supporters…and some of the opposition…..I just completed a week long trial and some of the opposing lawyers remarks reminded me a lot of the commentators remarks on this site….
There is an old cliché in the legal world that goes like this:
“When the facts are not on your side argue the law, and when the law is not on your side argue the facts…when neither one is on your side just keep arguing”….LOL

Integrity

I guess that is why you made unsubstantiated allegations against Congressman Issa in which you have still failed to either prove or recant. The prosecution rests. QED

plsilverman

getting a little personal, eh? did you read the guidelines here? 🙂

I Hate Fascists

Yeah I read it bro. Here it is:

Rule #1: The right wing wins every argument
Rule #2: If you are a liberal and you think you won the argument, see rule #1
Rule #3: Liberals can post here as long as they know there place, which is to be sheepish and submissive and be showered with abuse. Any liberal with the audacity to even think of reversing those roles will be excumunicated

Jeff Webb

>>Legal Eagle is a thoughtful man very knowledgeable on a wide variety of
issues who takes your insults and abuse with a grain of salt.<<

High praise coming from you, no doubt, but you didn't answer the question. As I'm sure you'd find LE's posts as much the truth as your own. can you explain why I, the guy you claim deleted you because I cannot handle the truth, didn't delete him?

As for your Newtown accusation, pick a better battle, boy. Your pathological hostility doesn't give you the right to lie, and it sure doesn't excuse you from understanding what you read.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

I like that he’s justifying posing at us and spewing racist rhetoric, because we, as moderators, had the gall to moderate his posts. Brilliant reasoning, really. 😉

I Hate Fascists

Get a life

I Hate Daly

Moderate? Moderate what? That I confronted you with the truth and you cannot handle the truth? You are a disgrace. Get a life.

D Parri

Not only is he incapable of any useful thought, he is also a sick pervert. Take a look at where his mind really resides…his comments, not mine.
——————————————————————————————————————————————-
legal eagle > D Parri

If your posts on this forum are indicative of your legal acumen, then your clients should sue you for malpractice! Are you compensated for posting your drivel on this forum? QED

legal eagle

Well I’ve never been sued for malpractice and I have been told that my legal acumen is good enough…what’s your excuse?….LOL

Integrity

and Obama has never been impeached. QED

D Parri

He is mostly lies and BS…there is no substance to his comments, which are only attacks against anything non-supportive to Hussein Obama.

D Parri

And that is why he has no “clients”. Oh brother….!

D Parri

The thing with Legal Weasel is you’ll never have a productive debate with him. He thrives on annoying with stupid comments and personal slurs. That’s his goal. Ignoring him is the best treatment.

Tim Ned

I never agree with you politically, however I thank you for your service to this country.

Integrity

This is pathetic, even for you! For what it is worth, I served 23 years in the U.S. Army, so I guess I can opine. Bernie is a patriot. He has integrity, whereas, most of the remaining members of the media do not. In my humble opinion, Bernie has performed an invaluable service for our country. I think your thinking profile should have expired by now. Perhaps not. QED

plsilverman

a patriot who makes a living off HATE writing. often has something insightful to say..but since 2009…just another Fox parrot-puppet-pundit. Obama did not match his socks last Thursday – IMpeach!!!!!!

Integrity

I think there are more legitimate reasons to impeach President Obama. If you can’t recognize that, then you are too far gone to save. It is also sad that you can’t recognize where the true hate comes from. QED

plsilverman

I’m “far gone”, why? impeachable? where? recess appointments? nah. restoring auto industry? nah. AFA? nah…a Law and affirmed by the SC. getting us out of the way for Halliburton ahead of time? nah. Fast & Furious? nah. (unless continuing a bad leftover program is impeachable at some level); Benghazi? nah (nothing to laed to 1600 and contained in the State Dept. bureacracy); deciding to not sell arms to hostile nations? nah; IRS on the Tea Party? nothing to laed to 1600; getting the Seals to get BL and his 20 PCs and 22 thug buddies? nah. you desperate, sweaty Obama haterz got nothing! 🙂 🙂 >>>ooh, “true hate”!!! from the Leftie pinkoz!! nothing from the tea party caucus / Fox / newscorp / ALEC!!! > read the 24-7 OBAMA HATE MACHINE, THE NEW HATE, THE FOX EFFECT. >>the only bad thing was to continue the 10 yr. tax relief program for billionaires and continue the patriot act, full force. so once again, I ask you to go back to shuffling your Fox news memo cards and re-reading your John Birch Society newsletters from 1962.

plsilverman, there is no hate involved in Mr. Goldberg’s writing. He is reasoned to a fault. Sometimes, to me, an exasperating fault. One of Mr. Goldberg’s catch phrases is ‘on the one hand …. but, then on the other’. When he does this I’m reminded of Harry Truman lamenting he be brought a one armed economist to advise him.

You are making a strawman argument and a not very good one at that.

With all the exclamation points you’re using, I doubt you believe it yourself.

legal eagle

I’m sure Bernie, as is the case with most of us, worked hard at avoiding service in Vietnam..
Getting shot at for LBJ and Nixon’s folly was not a sign of patriotism..

Integrity

If you did not trust Government back then, then why do you so blindly follow President Obama now. Just curious. QED

legal eagle

I didn’t “trust government” then and I don’t trust government now…

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

So… you want an entity you don’t trust managing your life?

legal eagle

I manage my life and my family’s life quite well…I don’t need to “trust” the government, I just need to know the rules and I will figure out how to make them work for my benefit….Nothing unique about this strategy…It’s the way most people I know navigate the system…

Integrity

Wow! A very telling and sad statement about yourself indeed. QED

Integrity

My bad. I should have known that after all the criticism you have levied against President Obama and his current administration. It can’t be this easy! QED

legal eagle

I trust that I can figure out how to make the system work for myself and my family…Government doesn’t manage people, it makes them choose which course to follow…

Integrity

I see how the system can be profitable if you have the correct politics. I guess it can be this easy, especially for cult members. QED

legal eagle

Profitable?

legal eagle

I don’t follow anyone except my own instincts and experience…I agree with Obama’s agenda more than I agree with the Republicans agenda because the Republicans don’t have an agenda other than having the most people living on the least amount of money…

Integrity

You blindly follow him; you are just afraid to admit it to yourself. QED

legal eagle

and you know this how?

Bob Olden

So many now depend on handouts that it seems impossible that a future president could roll them back without getting voted out immediately. Can a leader call on the citizens to become less reliant on the state as an act of patriotism? It would take a communicator with the skills of Reagan and the support of our strongest institutions (Churches, schools, the media, etc.) – and all branches of the government.

Conservative columnists like Bernie are certainly making a big contribution.

legal eagle

Handouts? Who is getting handouts?

D Parri

I won’t respond to Legal Weasel, but I will tell you, Bob, who is getting handouts. Try my neighbors next door who none of them work, but they all carry cell phones, they grill steaks at least four times a week, they all receive SNAP benefits, supplemental income, and the list goes on.

This is one home and there are millions more just like them. They belong to the 50% of Americans that do not pay ANY income tax . . . and they all voted for OBAMA. How much of that do you think they are desiring to give back today? CORRECT, 0%. That is our future under current president . . . 0%.

legal eagle

Perhaps you should move out of the trailer park …How do you know how often they grill steaks? Are you stalking them or begging for some scraps?
What is supplemental income?

D Parri

Are you still getting a four-hour hard-one from attacking me? You are one sick individual.

The only response you get from me is to expose your sickness.

Larry in Texas

Anyone with about an 8th grade education can see the patently obvious differences between Kennedy and Obama that Mr, Gildberg points out here. A pre 70’s education, that is. “Our” president is doing exactly what he said he would do; he simply left out all the details, and the dumbed-down voters were masterfully punked.
“It’s is easy to fool people. It is hard to convince them they have been fooled.”

D Parri

Metaphorically speaking, I see Kennedy’s expression as symbolizing the relationship between government and its citizens in the picture of government providing a ‘hand up out of the dust’ to those truly in need. Upon attaining self-sufficiency, those who have been helped can go on to give back and help others.

Contrasted with Kennedy’s view, Obama seems to place the emphasis upon government filling in for some and taking from others in order to achieve the effect of leveling the field of socio-economic wherewithal for the ‘vast majority’. Unfortunately, in order to achieve the greatest benefit from the government it is necessary for them to reach and maintain the status of ‘needy’.

It is ironic how emphasis upon the individual in Kennedy’s view provides the incentive for progress, and the emphasis upon government touted by Obama will always serve to disincentivize the individual.

It is clear why comments like President Kennedy’s will remain ageless and stand as a beacon for those who serve their country and work to sustain it and make it a better place than the one they found.

Wheels55

Truth is, we just don’t know how much Obama understands about economics. I bet not much. However, he has demonstrated on many occasions in many ways that he is only interested in your vote. Not how his policies affect you, only what he can make you believe. So, if Obama does understand that giving away so much with little incentive for people to give back (by taking care of themselves, having jobs and paying taxes) is crap in the long run, he hides that knowledge well.
I think he just doesn’t get it, doesn’t want to get it and has “mailed it in” since becoming President. Being President was his end game, not serving his country.
Let’s give him a retirement party right now, Uncle Joe too.

joepotato

So, it seems that you (like many others) believe the “incompetence card” that the regime is playing… Obie Dingle Barry Soetoro/ Obama and his regime understand enough about economics to collapse an economy… That’s what we’re watching… all being done by design… ( research Cloward & Piven) one more thing, destroying the USA is the “end game”….

Wheels55

I don’t doubt that the clowns reporting to Obama know the consequences of their actions – I just doubt Obama himself understands it all.
This much I am sure of: Obama and his staff know that Obamacare will evolve into a single payer system – if it worked – and that the massive welfare he embraces is a giant step closer to the socialism that he craves.
I don’t believe so many in the White House are incompetent – they just think they are pulling the wool over our eyes. It ain’t working Barry!!!!

legal eagle

What’s wrong with a single payer system?

Integrity

Government. QED

legal eagle

I think you need to get out more….Go visit your doctor and get some medication for your OCD problem…LOL

4Deuce

Just weeks after becoming POTUS, Obama was being interviewed on TV. He encouraged viewers to get back into investing in the stock market because, as he said, the “profits to earnings ratio” was favorable for investing. At that moment I KNEW Obama was an illiterate in basic economics. Econ 101 informs new students of economics one of the basic premises of personal and corporate finance when they are drilled in the basics of the PRICE to Earnings ratio. Seeing as the words “profits” and “earnings” are synonymous, any profits-to-earnings ratio, if there was one, would be 1:1 and no profits would ever be realized. No, Obama doesn’t have any more of a grasp of basic economics than a Middle School student.

Wheels55

You are insulting middle school kids every where.

Uncle Dave

It is likely that Obummer does now something about economics, to what level is the question. When he said “profits” in place of “price” that was, very likely, a “Freudian Slip” as he views the whole financial sector as any good Progressive would, it’s “evil” … unless the upper tier of the Demon-crats are the ones profitting, i.e. Hillary and Whitewater (Vincent Foster)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/whitewater/timeline.htm

keith hart

Obama’s narcissistic personality disorder allows him to lie with such ease. He revels in getting over on people. When he is caught in a lie, he apologizes for not lying good enough and promises to lie better in the future. Lying for the ‘greater good’. So as not to panic everyone before the necessary hardships actually arrive. Just look at that photo of the smirky teen in the pimp hat toking on the big spliff — this is not an eagle scout. Grows up to be a guy so enthralled with himself and what marxist/alinsky ideology can do for him, that he is willing to injure millions to make his point — has a real chip on his shoulder. Many have considered a comparison of Obama and JFK this past week. Obama and Damien Thorn is a more accurate and relevant comparison.

Lc Goodfellow

‘ That was then, this is now ‘

A lot of Americans have become so insulated from reality that they
imagine America can suffer defeat without any inconvenience to
themselves.

Bob Hadley

One of the problems comparing historical figures from different Eras is that they’re almost always taken out of context. And context is everything, or just about.

Pres. Kennedy assumed office when the dark cloud hanging over the nation was communism. Kennedy wanted the nation to harness its energies and talents, at least to a large degree, in competing with communism – economically, technologically, militarily, educationally and internationally.

The nation’s economy, while perhaps not great was relatively secure and even promising. Single family wage earners could provide for the family and put the kids through college in much greater proportion than today. In short, to secure the nation’s survival, people had to band together to defeat the enemy abroad.

When Pres. Kennedy assumed office, the top marginal tax-rate was 90% (or was it 92%). He led the effort to lower the rate to 70%. Bernie apparently believes that, if Kennedy were president today, he’d either want all the so-called Bush tax cuts preserved or lowered.

But, wait a minute! Wasn’t the top marginal tax-rate 36% when Pres. Obama assumed office? Wasn’t one-third of Pres. Obama’s stimulus package tax breaks for 95 % of the population? (Hey, wait a minute! I thought conservatives were all for tax breaks!) Didn’t Pres. Obama, during his first term, lower taxes even more than did Pres. Bush?

when Pres. Obama assumed office the nation’s economy was in free-fall. There was not a overbearing national threat such as communism in 2009. There was a terrorist threat, and Pres. Obama ratcheted up the war on the terrorists. But we, as a nation, had no need to compete with the terrorists – economically, technologically, militarily, educationally and internationally – like we did with the et Union in 1961.

And Pres. Kennedy’s iconic calling was not very amenable to the conservative ethos – at least that of today. In a sense, you can transpose “nation” with “government” in Pres. Kennedy’s clarion call. How do you think we were going to be economically, technologically, militarily, educationally and internationally competitive???? With national (read: government) investments, of course.
Many conservatives supported Pres. Kennedy in defeating the Soviet Union, but in 2009 I’m unaware of any strong conservative support for a national (read: government) investment in any of the above categories, except for the military and foreign policy initiatives.

4Deuce

“National” investment is what we got with Solyndra and Fisker. That is why you see no support for this sort of government-dictated foolishness from conservatives. We prefer the sort of investment found in Apple and MicroSoft where the investments were selected by those familiar with the issues, economic parameters. limitaitons and risks. Do you want to really improve our failing educational system? Let public schools issue stock certificates to families whose kids are educated by those schools and use that revenue to fund teacher salaries, benefits and capital investments. Then, when the kids fail real local action can be taken to address to problems locally.. The answer is not the current “government” way where parents are prisoners of school boards and teachers unions and they see their taxes raised to solve problems as those school boards and teachers unions define them.

Bob Hadley

Thanks for illustrating my point! I doubt any number of today’s conservative would support Pres. Obama in saying “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” It’s a ringing call to action, but – to a large degree – goes against the grain of todays conservatives.
Of course, included in that clarion call, Pres. Kennedy was asking – in part – for citizens to rally in pursuits that would help the country compete with the Soviet Union, even if it meant subordinating the profit motive. Pres. Kennedy was also envisioning government investing in areas where he wanted to compete with the Soviet Union – education, technology, building the economy, etc.
Again, when Pres Kennedy issued that challenge in 1961, the country faced a dark and uncertain challenge from the Soviet Union that conservatives generally wanted to confront head-on..

legal eagle

Amazing how one line in Kennedy’s inaugural speech, written by Ted Sorenson, has become what he is remembered for by right wingers. They forget about the civil rights act, Medicare and Vietnam….simple slogans for the simple minded…

Bob Hadley

According to Chris Matthews, Pres. Kennedy lifted the phrase from a speech given by an official at his prep school. Matthews has done exhaustive research on Pres. Kennedy. But yes, Ted Sorenson was a great speech writer for JFK.
Pres. Kennedy embraced civil rights, but did so late in the game.
I think it was George McGovern who said that some right-wingers will cite dead liberal to make live liberals look bad. Some right-wingers will even try to cote retired liberals to make active liberals look bad.

Jack

Another big difference between the two — JFK had charm and a sense of humor. BO is a humorless ideologue who is already on record as viewing his political opponents as “the enemy”. Couldn’t find a smaller minded politician for president if you tried.

Wheels55

BO set the bar so low for 2016 that Hillary has a decent chance.

Jack

Obama’s playing the knockout game — wants to see if he can take down the nation in two terms. He’s already purged the military leadership.

http://theromancatholicvote.com/ catholicvoter

This is very well written, Bernie, but to most of us who read your column it’s painfully obvious. I enjoyed seeing you on O’Reilly last night, as I always do.
Blessings

bobjr4freedom

THANK YOU BERNIE for making the difference between John F.Kennedy and Barack Obama.Obama is no JFK.

keith hart

Obama is more akin to Aaron Burr.

keith hart

Can the nation survive a president who hates his own country, despises his own people; who wants to chastise and transform us all into good, little socialist drones? His narcissistic personality disorder allows him to lie with such ease. He revels in getting over on people. When he is caught in a lie he apologizes for not lying good enough and promises to lie better in the future.. Just look at that photo of the smirky teen in the pimp hat toking on the big spliff — this is not an eagle scout. Grows up to be a guy so enthralled with marxist/alinsky ideology that he is willing to injure millions to make a point — has a real chip on his shoulder. Impeachment, indictment, conviction which Barack Obama so richly deserves would be a Godsend, stopping all that “the Constitution is nothing more than negative rights” crap. Obama is no JFK. The comparison is absurd. A case can be made Obama is more like Damien Thorn.

Jack

Barry isn’t even a Jimmy Carter — he’s much, much worse.

joepotato

At least Cateh was a US (NBC) citizen…

keith hart

Obama the marxist / alinsky transformer. Wanting to chastise us, as well. And turn us all into good, little socialist drones. Obama, not anything even remotely like JFK is more comparable to Damien Thorn.

Chuck

I’ve often thought about how Obama has flipped the Kennedy quote, but in 30 short years, he has also flipped the Reagan quote: “Government is not the solution; it’s the problem.”

Gloria

Excellent point!
Agree totally…..

Vin Bick

JFK was a real person with leadership talent. Today, the White House is occupied by an incompetent, fake nimnon.

joepotato

BHO is (most likely) an Indonesian foreign usurper with evil intent; that is more accurate… Do not believe the phony “incompetence card” they’re using to coverup the intentional destruction of the USA. Remember, Obie claimed he was born in Kenya before he claimed to be born in Hawaii….

keith hart

Yes. The incompetence is a ruse. The chastising and transforming us all into good, little socialist drones will sting all the more when it becomes clear to all it was intentional — not incompetence. Thank God for the Second Amendment.

SkyCitizen

Yep Bernie, I’m thinking that present day liberals could just shoot JFK again for having said “Ask not what your country can do for you”. Doggone his pragmatism! What an old fashioned schmuck.

MaleMatters

I referred to Kennedy’s famous line in a commentary of my own a week or so ago:

Obama says – “Don’t ask what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you.”

Jarob54

Americans today are not cut from the same bolt of cloth. Today pride does not enter into the equation, just what is in it for me. What can I receive for free. Work is a four letter word to many, and many aren’t going to work if they don’t have to. Society has changed and pride and self relience has been replaced with government sudsides. And that is the problem.

keith hart

What you say is true. There is more, far more to it. The ratio of responsible to irresponsible, decent to indecent is the same now as it was in JFK’s time. The guys at Iwo Jima, the guys in Afganistan, same cloth. Socrates was bemoaning the decline of society and the current generation. Don’t fall into that trap.

Jill

Victims don’t have to work. They don’t have to look for work, since they know ahead of time that they would be rejected. They don’t have to apply themselves and get an education either. All they need to do is make sure they get the latest athletic shoes and perfect that turnaround jumper.

joepotato

Bernie, this is an easy one… How did you miss it, or not comment…? If you take a look at Obie Soetoro/Obama’s “education” it’s clear… The Cloward/Piven plan/ strategy to transform a nation by overloading govt (welfare) programs… This has been no accident by an incompetent fuhrer… It’s all by design, and people have been waking up to the fraud that is residing at the WH. El Residente claimed he was born in Kenya before he claimed to be born in Hawaii. At which time was he lying? The questions will not go away…

Drew Page

Obama has adopted the Cloward & Piven strategy to achieve his goal of transforming America into a socialist state and uses the tactics outlined in Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals to achieve that goal. If anyone is interested in finding out what motivates Obama to achieve his goal all they have to do is read his two books, Dreams from My Father and the Audacity of Hope. It is all there for the curious.

Tonethousand

There is little to no comparison between BHO and JFK except that they are both Democrats. JFK is rolling over in his grave at that comparison. Today’s Democrats are “progressives”, that mere euphemism for socialist, and Kennedy was no socialist. And either were Democrats, once upon a time.

Nicholas344

You are living in the past Bernard. The days of “We the people” who knew of the importance of adopting voluntary obligations in order to make rights possible are over. “We the People” have devolved in the eyes of politicians, the media, and the courts into “They the Great Unwashed” who must be bribed by the promise of “rights.” Just the thought of “obligations” is too insulting and probably racist.
We are always reading of gay rights, women’s rights, and all other rights. However, have you ever read of gay obligations, women’s obligations, or any other? Of course not. Those days are over. Time to get hip Bernard and fight for “rights.” Kennedy is too old fashioned.

LAPhil

I don’t understand the caption under the photo of Kennedy and Obama in the upper left of this page “Made enemies of Israel right out of the gate”. I know Obama hasn’t exactly ingratiated himself with Israel, but what did Kennedy do?

ted

Yeah, well, it’s all over. We are an ever-Progressive country and will continue on this path either forever or until we run out of borrowing capacity — which will happen — and the various Progressive beneficiary-factions start fighting and realigning.
Our entrepreneur-wanna be class will continue to innovate for decades, thus filling the government coffers along with what will become a material source, lawsuit settlements. $14 billion — $14,000,000,000 — is simply a start.
The individual freedom of Americans will continue to be taken from us — the elites will become our decision-makers completely and will ultimately decide what can be manufactured and for how much money. Companies will become government-directed utilities with whatever is left over in the way of profits sent to whatever faction the government desires.
Ladies, Gentlemen and Bernie it is all over but the shouting like this blog. I have never seen a cogent argument against my contention.http://www.periodictablet.com

joepotato

I sure hope you’re wrong… Fascism is not good or a part of “our constitution” that is being eroded…

CentralScruntinizer

Just so I can follow correctly, if progressives are the ultimate borrowers, and Reagan & Bush 43 are the champs at debt explosion, then Reagan & Bush 43 are Progressives?

Jack

The’ve been surpassed by the current POTUS … by a long shot and he’s still got three more years to lay waste to this country.

CentralScruntinizer

Actually, no. It’s an article of faith in the right wing bubble that Obama is running up the debt, but you can look at the objective figures and its not the case. The four biggest drivers of the debt continue to be Bush administration events that are largely (not completely) out of Obama’s control:
1) 2001 + 2003-2012 Tax Cuts that were never offset.
2) Two Deficit Financed Wars (stipulating up front that the Obama admin is keeping us in Afghanistan longer than we need be.)
3) Revenue lost to 2008 economic collapse – Economy shrunk by $2.2 trillion in 4Q of 2008 alone.
4) Medicare Part D.

Obama’s big expenditure? 880 billion in stimulus in 2009.

Drew Page

So exactly what has Obama done over the past five years to solve all those problems he inherited? What has he done to stimulate the U.S. economy, reduce the unemployment problem, refurbish the infrastructure, make America more competitive in the global economy, bring the troops back home from Afghanistan and Iraq and increase the take home pay of the American worker?
The “recovery” from the recession is the most anemic in U.S. history, real unemployment remains unacceptably high, we are still bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq. Taxes are up and so are the number of people in poverty and on government welfare programs. There has been one scandal after another in his administration that Obama claims to known nothing about until he read about them in the papers. Our enemies don’t fear us and our allies don’t trust us and who can blame them?

CentralScruntinizer

There are plenty of things I totally fault Obama for, but your argument here teeters on a number of assumptions that are off.

First and broadest is the idea that we are coming out of an ordinary recession. The 2008 collapse was much more comparable to the Great Depression than any other recession in the past century. Most economists, even some Austrian School fans on the right, concede that this kind of a catastrophe can take a decade to dig out of. The whole “look at the unemployment, look at the jobs” issue is a structural crisis set in place via NAFTA, Greenspan’s monetary policy, deregulation & lending, etc. that doesn’t get fixed by either party for a looong time, and never gets completely fixed given the impact of globalization.

A few smaller points: Obama did get the vast majority of troops out of Iraq, so you’re off on that point. However, unless there’s something in the national security briefings I don’t know, I can’t understand why we are still in Afghanistan. I agree with you there.

And yes, taxes are up, but only marginally and they are coming off 55 year lows. The un-offset Bush Tax cuts 2001 & 2003-2012 are one of the three biggest contributors to the debt.

As for scandals, I think NDAA is a legit scandal, the drone program is being run in a really questionable way, and Obama’s pledge to restore transparency post Dick Cheney’s cloak of total executive secrecy has been a farce. The administration should be held accountable for these, and the NSA issue is something that was accelerated post 9/11 and really given massive cover via the Patriot Act but again I see nothing on the administration’s part to curtail. They seem to be ok with its continued expansion. I think it needs broader oversight than secret FISA courts.

However, I’m assuming that when you write scandal, you’re looking at right wing tropes like IRS (evaporated when it turned out the IRS equally targeted left wing groups with words like Occupy in their name on the application for tax exempt status and the left wing groups actually were denied at a rate greater than Tea Party applications. Haven’t seen much follow up on these findings in the RW bubble) or Benghazi “Scandals.”

Jeff Webb

>>I’m assuming that when you write scandal, you’re looking at right wing tropes like IRS (evaporated when it turned out the IRS equally targeted left wing groups with words like Occupy in their name on the application for tax exempt status and the left wing groups actually were denied at a rate greater than Tea Party applications.<>Haven’t seen much follow up on these findings in the RW bubble) or Benghazi “Scandals.”<<

I'm sure the families of the Benghazi victims, no doubt already gratified from BO's & HC's callous inaction and subsequent lying to their faces, feel a soothing warmth from people like you.

Also, as for the soothing warmth of Benghazi – I never said it wasn’t a tragedy. However, I’m not the one trying desperately to fan everything from Obama putting his shoes on the White House desk all the way up to a tragic attack on a consulate which claimed US lives — an awful event which occurred 11 times during the Bush administration but given that even the most cynical Dems (and there are plenty) don’t quite have the blood thirst of the average GOP rep, weren’t spun against Bush.

And lets not even start with what would have happened if President Gore had been in the White House on 9/11 and had blown off an Aug. 6th PDB saying “Bin Laden determined to strike inside US.” The impeachment hearings would have only been the start. The GOP would have played Torquemada for years.

Jeff Webb

Your link didn’t prove anything false in mine, and actually supported it in part towards the end. Seriously, take a moment and read them again.

Unless President Bush caused BO & HC to lie to the nation and right to the faces of the Benghazi families about what led to the attack, leave him out of this. It’s interesting: no matter how many times libs bring him up, BO just doesn’t stop being horrible at his job.

Sorry, but if you read the link I included, it pretty much vaporizes your notion that there is an IRS scandal to be found, in spite of your most feverish wishes.

As for Benghazi, maybe all you in the RW conspiracy bubble could get together and actually construct a coherent outline of what the core of your scandal theory is. Is it that there were a couple days where the White House was not clear on whether it was a pre-planned attack or not? Because that seems to be a pretty weak base for the conspiracy stew you’re trying to feed everyone. Pretty much everything else along the conspiracy line has been a dry hole for you, but I don’t doubt for a second that you’ll keep scrambling.

As for the August 6th PDB, you “covered” it in your post the same way that you did in your comments: By implying that short of a document reading “Hijacked United and American Airlines flights from New York and Boston will be attacking the World Trade Center and Pentagon on the Morning of 9/11/01” there is nothing that could be done by the Bush Administration. Good work! Please tell me you are a member of the Bush, Cheney or Rumsfeld family to justify that level of mendacity.

Would you also care to take on Cheney’s refusal of the Hart-Rudman bipartisan report on National Security that was delivered to the administration in early 2001?

TheOriginalDonald

IT’S ALL BUSH’S FAULT!-CommieScruntinizer

CentralScruntinizer

Good work, Right Wing Rage-Bot! Now go to college and learn what a communist really is. Being a fan of a modernized update of Glass Steagall actually makes me more of a fan and protector of capitalism than you and your Koch-addled pals.

independance41

Thank you Bernie for your thoughts.
I do not know if you ever read anything that is posted here.
You are a truth teller & guiding light for many of us.

rbblum

Asking what your country can do for you celebrates welfare . . . whereas, celebrating the ideals and values embodied within the US Constitution initiates patriotism of, by and for the people within our constitutional republic.

Lc Goodfellow

Beware the globalist enemies within. “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.

@Lc Goodfellow: That quote is REMARKABLE, scary, and beautiful, all at the same time. Thank you very much for posting it.

Jack

Too true, but what can we do about it at this point?

Lc Goodfellow

Romney, lost because he was up against the ‘CHI-town’ game.
He lost because of all the ‘Yellow Journalist’
Where were the ‘Boos’ for Candy Crowly ( “I’d do it again” cow ) from the crowd on that lie.
He lost because of all the little Obama, organizers that sat in their offices for 4, ( four years) collecting wages and names for fundraising.
It’s Chicago style politics and why some wallets carry ‘Payoff paper’ for the good of the party.
Dig on the Net, get smarter.
“The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.” (Maximilien Robespierre)
I have a black President that has wasted what could have been the historic moment in the years of this country. “If you can’t beat your opponent’s ideas, you distort those ideas and maybe make some up.” — who’d you think ?

TheOriginalDonald

Nope, Romney lost because he gave Massachusetts ObamaCare Beta. Ask the peeps at HAHVAHD YAHD how THAT is going.

Lc Goodfellow

“Not really the same thing.”

“If you can’t beat your opponent’s ideas, you distort those ideas and maybe make some up.” — who’d you think ?

I’m also the Chi-town Kid, look for me on the corner.

Milt Spilk

That line was paraphrased from the writings of Khalil Gibran. a Lebanese poet and philosopher. Very eloquent.

D Parri

I nike the lame. 🙂

Reese

Bernie,

Since the Regan era, we have been cutting taxes consistently, especially under W. Bush, and where is all of this economic prosperity that you talk about??? Trickle down economics and continued tax cuts have not helped the average american. Wages have remained stagnant over the last 30 years, when you factor in inflation, and the top 1% wealth has increase by over 275% during the same time period. No one likes to pay taxes but they are a necessary evil. I know conservatives love to say that all of their taxes are going to “poor people” who are lazy but these tax cuts have serious implications. Education, police, fire, FEMA, to name a few, are they types of things that get cut. The same people who demand all of these tax cuts are the first to complain if the fire department does not get there quickly enough to save their house or that the police aren’t doing enough. There are consequences when you cut taxes.

The reality is that it is not really poor folks who are reaching into your pockets. Check your actual take home pay over the last few years (I say take home vs. actual gross income for a reason). Has it increased over the last few years when you factor in addition medical contributions, dental etc. Additionally, many companies are moving to high deductible plans. So, let’s say you had no deductible before and now you have a $7000 family deductible, if you end up using a portion or all of that deductible, if it was not there before, you can deduct that from your take home pay as well. If the numbers have decrease, is that the lazy, poor people taking from you?

Last thought. If you are from a state that takes in more money from the federal government than you put in (by the way mostly read states take more from the federal government than what they put in), how does that make you any different than people who receive assistance from the government? States that are wealthier help out states that are not as financially well off every single year. I don’t think that makes people in these states lazy. We are one nation and I believe that we have a civic duty to help those in need. I am not talking about a drug addict that is not applying for work either. Rather the single parent who is struggling to make ends meet working several jobs to feed their kids.

Jeff Webb

Say, how did the country fare, jobs-wise and revenues-wise, after Presidents Kennedy & Reagan cut taxes for all taxpayers?

woulddragon

It is rare for me to believe that a Democrat could be so conservative (I was only five months and ten days or so from being born when JFK was assassinated), so it comes/came as quite a surprise to me when I read this article. If Barack Hussain Obama were to learn ANYTHING from John Fitzgerald Kennedy, I suspect that the former would, rather quickly, claim such things as his own, rather than having come fro the latter. But then again, I suspect that BHO never was a student of history…or of historical context.

Ksp48

We reached the tipping point a while back where the majority realized that all they had to do was vote to get things that previously they had to work for. Voting is so much easier than working.

gbandy

Kennedy was the last Democrat who really cared for the People and knew creating a welfare state would be the downfall for the entire Nation. After Kennedy liberalism took over the Democratic Party and made it the Nanny party it is today. Now we have 47million on food stamps, Obamacare, skyrocketing entitlements, and even Obama phones. This will destroy this Nation and so many liberal/progressives still think the Government should do more. Well at least until they run out of other people’s money.

Bruskie

Yes! Even though JFK was before my time, I, Like Chris Mathews, have understood, just from that statement, that President Kennedy was far to the Right of John McCain and Mitt Romney. Thanks for that article Bernie.

JJ

My husband always says to me when we are talking about political parties, Obama, etc..”JJ, they are not your fathers democrats”. Obama is NOT a President Kennedy!

Ted Crawford

President Kennedy was assassinated to facilitate This Progressive Ideology we now suffer under ! Kennedy was a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and for the right reason as well! He would have laughed in the face of those today who consider that the Second Amendment was passed to allow Hunting and Personal Defense! He very clearly understood these to be simply unalienable rights, and that the Second Amendment was intended for National Defense, protection from Tyranny, whatever the source!
He also understood how to grow an Economy, through empowerment rather than entitlement! Mr. Kennedy had every intention of spending vast sums of money on Domestic issues, but he also intended to grow an Economy that could sustain his spending!
Empowerment is the Antithesis to the Progressive Entitlement Ideology, and Mr. Kennedy was far, far too popular to undermine, so he had to be removed!
Had he been allowed, in spite of my many disagreements with his policies, I believe he would have been, far and away the best President of that Century

keith hart

Thanks, Ted. I’m glad someone knows why President Kennedy was killed. I surely don’t. I do suspect Oswald was not even a gunman in on it. He was as shocked as everyone else. The fool did run with the wrong crowd, though; and, he had ‘patsy’ written all over his helter skelter life.

Paul Rush

As Obama believes it it is the fault of the republicans for all the problems that face our nation today.It is never his fault it is always someone elses . Thank you Bernie for the JFK article. What was the old tag line? I knew Jack Kennedy you’re sir (Obama) are certainly not a Jack Kennedy.

brickman

Karl Hess, Barry Goldwater’s speechwriter, described Kennedy’s Ask Not quotation as the essence of fascism. He objected that the idea that we exist to serve government has it backwards. It exists to serve us. The fact that you don’t understand that shows how liberal you are.

msami1026

Wow! Mr. G. bet that’s the 1st time U heard that comment about U. They’re all (the slobberers) so brain dead. Guess they do aca for the psyhc help!!

Jack

So, I should kick back and go on welfare? Yeah, I could get used to asking what the country could do for me. Yeah, that’ll show those commies who’s right. Who the hell was Karl Hess anyway? He did a real fine job getting this other Barry elected.

brickman

No, you shouldn’t go on welfare. The country should have an economy where the choice isn’t between being Donald Trump or being on public assistance. As for Karl Hess, you’re showing your youth. You’re definitely under 60. I could tell you but I’ll leave it to you to do your own research. I know you’re hard working enough to do it. The only hints I will give you is that Goldwater’s most famous quote was written by Hess. You may find him interesting.

brickman

No. You shouldn’t go on welfare. There once was a time when your choice wasn’t limited to being Donald Trump or on welfare.People worked hard and could make a good living.

You might like Karl Hess. He was one of the great thinkers of the sixties. If you want to know why some people in their sixties and seventies think the Tea Party are whiners check out what the IRS did to Karl. He was prohibited by the US Government from possessing money.

cmacrider

Without in any way attempting to denegrate JFK’s “Ask not … ” statement, I think his equally compelling statement was the one where he said “a rising tide raises all boats.” Oh for the days when neither the Dems or the Reps were fixated on socialism because they both held to the belief that “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” was far superior to some tired outdated class warfare socialism.

brickman

I’ve always been confused by that metaphor. I live on Barnegat Bay. I notice that when the tide comes in it raises the boats from the bottom. Why doesn’t it refer to the rich getting richer when the poor do better?

JMax

A rising tide floats all boats unless a few really big boats crowd all the little ones out of the water.

Brian Fr Langley

Ode to a liberal nation. (it’s not too late but it is getting there).
limerick?
part 1
Ten thousand battlefields, liberty the goal,
of this American Nation, it’s very soul,
now what can I do,
that you call me too,
since liberty to me, means going on dole.
part 2
Ten thousand battlefields, liberty sought,
from Nation’s founding, it was blood with bought,
no higher price paid,
for the foundation laid,
should liberty’s price, be all for naught?
.
The liberty touted by the left is not liberty at all, it’s counterfeit libertinism. For the left, liberty is not their goal, it’s their tool.

EddieD_Boston

1. Obama and other liberals are ruining the country.
2. I saw you on the factor tonight and you hit the nail on the head concerning black youth. Liberals all grew up in suburbia and don’t have a clue. None.
3. Is anyone else on here experiencing not being able to reply to a post. It’s not available to me. Not being able to respond to Wil’s stupid post of the week is killing me.
4. Isn’t it amazing Obama is still blaming republicans for his failure?

So Obama, who was 11 when Alinsky died, was working for him when he lived in Kenya and commuted to the Kremlin to learn at the feet of Brezhnev? Must’ve been a busy schedule for a 6th grader.

Ted Crawford

Did I say ANYWHERE that he “Meet him”? I clearly said he worked for him, perhaps I should have said his Orginization, The Industrial Areas Foundation. Later he was Chairman of the Developing Community, another Alinsky inspired organization that worked closely with the Gamaliel Foundation ALL Alinsky Organizations!
It was Hillary who actually met Alinsky! Saul Alinsky was and still is, through his writings, the Guru of Community Organizers!

CentralScruntinizer

Good scramble, not sure if it qualifies as a save though. As a Clinton fan, I’m guessing your next gambit will be challenging the definition of “is.”

keith hart

Yes it does. A Willie Mays over the shoulder catch. But you hit it deep calling him on using ‘him’ rather than ‘his organization’. Ted try to be more precise from the get go.

GlenFS

You must have been scrutinizing your own navel when you composed that reply.

Ted Crawford

I don’t know what, if any association Obama might have had with the Kremlin. According to Obama, himself, he learned much on the knee of Frank Marshall Davis (Uncle Frank)!

Wheels55

Point 4: no it is not amazing. Obama knows no other way but to blame others. It is now insurance companies at fault for following Obamacare restrictions. Later, it will be the fault of Democrats that have left the Obama camp.
This is proof that Obama does not have a mirror to look into.

Jack

Wonder why Barry hasn’t stated that gee, he could have been any one of those fine black youths playing the knock-out game. Yeah black leadership knows when to speak up and when to remain silent.

gold7406

if if there was still a draft, there would be no progressive movement, they would all be in canada, complaining about lousy healthcare.
the great society, did turn out so great. almost 50 years of dependency, multi-generational unemployment and the destruction of the family unit.
aca will have the same impact but the misery will be spread out more.

Paul Borden

“The buck stops here.” Another principle from a Democrat president Obama seems to have forgotten/ignored.

gold7406

actually with this administration, they think the phrase is “duck” and everyone runs for cover.

Paul Borden

Very good!

msami1026

runs for cover under ‘nanny’ phew!

Josh

Though it’s more of a position held from a line of anecdotal incidents and personal occurrences, I’ve long held the stance that those on the hard left don’t really stand for much of anything but rather stand against the right. So the same folks who love Obama can love Kennedy without being conflicted ideologically about core messages. Along as they’re not right wing…

I agree; the role of government in a person’s life is probably the biggest ideological difference. In terms of how media promote presidents’ positive aspects, often twisting them into existence, while ignoring the negative aspects….well, I suppose the only thing to change in 50 years is the sheer amount of mediums available by which crooked media can make its case.

The contrast for me is always going to be stark and defined, with Obama’s “You didn’t build that” standing as a constant reminder that government has far too high an opinion of itself with far too few positive results to show.

I can speak to the attitudes of a lot of Obama fans I know, in that they really do want a larger government to push through what they believe to be a more enlightened morality. For Obama himself, as well as other politicians, I still don’t know whether they’re genuine or just power starved. All I do know is that people who want smaller government and an elimination of the progressive invasion are going about it the wrong way.

D Parri

My opinion? Power starved.

Obamaisafraud

The sooner that Conservatives in the media and at the main stream Conservative blogs and web pages come to realize that Barack Hussein Obama was always a fraud and remains a fraud the quicker Americans will become informed. The left wing nut jobs will always defend this fraud. As far as they are concerned he is The One and/or their secular messiah and they cannot afford to allow him to be convicted of the biggest fraud ever committed against this nation. That being said the criminal investigation of Obama continues and it will eventually find its way into the media. O’Reilly and the rest of Fox will have mud in their faces for a very long time for slandering those great patriots who have worked very, very investigating the crimes. O’Reilly continues to call those who want nothing more than to expose the crimes “bigots.” Shame on him and those that support what he says.

D Parri

OIF, this is a re-post of something that I wrote recently. I believe that it supports the fraud argument. Also, today’s change for next year’s implementation delay takes it even further.

The employer mandate delay was easy to achieve, though it is questionable as to whether it was legal. I believe that there is the small issue of our Constitution and the powers divided among the separate branches, and the power to pass and amend laws is set forth as the primary function of Congress–not the president.

However, as I pondered that move by Obama it begged the question, “Why”? The earlier implementation would surely bring in substantially more much-needed revenues. We now know that the website is a disaster, but that wasn’t known to be a train wreck before Oct. 1, or was it?

So, the only answer appears to be a political action to try to shield democrats who are up for re-election by delaying the implementation of the mandate for the MSM. It has nothing to do with ‘helping’ the employers…no more than the recent change in the “law of the land” made by Obama to allow individuals a chance to ‘keep’ their policies–the ones that have been canceled–for one more year. That is, if everyone else involved in the pipeline will reverse directions in under thirty days, and then come back to this same point in time only one year from now.

How’s that for leadership?

Brian Fr Langley

Has no one noticed that all the great leaders led to nobility. On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg address the call to higher purpose still resonates. YET modern leaders call for only ignominy. A clarion call to lower and lower ethics. On promiscuity? “they’ll just do it anyway” so condoms in schools, abortion on demand, and porn in mainstream movies. Leading straight into vast numbers of fatherless (state dependant children). On welfare and food stamps? Let there be no shame in getting a hand out so rules are designed to maximize fraud. If the price of eating is a little shame, so be it. At least then folks who are not really needy wouldn’t be taking food out of the mouths of folks who are. QE1,2, and three. A call to print money to save the economy? It’s really Government theft. Yes it’s absolutely true if you’re a cheating barkeep you can save your economy by adding water to the whiskey. But to pretend it’s not theft is absurd. Honest trade can be painful when business is slow, BUT you’ll reap what you sow. Worse this policy (state suppressed interest rates) rewards profligate spenders and penalizes virtuous savers. Illegal immigration? Folks wait years to come to America. Then politicians want to fast track those who jumped the line? So let’s again reward cheating and penalize honesty. Unhappily you’ll get mostly cheaters. We can still recognise great leaders by their call to “THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE”. (Abraham Lincoln) How is it, that despite this recognition, we keep electing those leading only to ignominy?

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

I wrote about this in a column a while back, but one of the most memorable bumper-stickers I’ve seen in some time was “Ask not what your country can take from others and give to you.” THAT’s the mindset this country so desperately needs.

http://johndalybooks.com/ John Daly

I’ve actually thought about this quote a lot in recent years. If some high-profile politician spoke it today, he’d be laughed out of town by the very same people who tout JFK as one of our great presidents.

keith hart

It’s 70% how you look, 20% how you say it, 10% what you say. Unless the citizenry is facing imminent peril. Then that 10% goes up i.e. Churchill.

Seattle Sam

As long as you view wealth as something that just drops out of the sky no matter how much you discourage its creation, then, sure, why not spread it around?

Preston22

Obama is a transformer and Kennedy was a patriotic idealist. Two different patterns of thinking, totally different perspectives.

Obamaisafraud

Barry Soetoro (aka Barack Hussein Obama) is a fraud and as a result of that fraud, a liar. I heard many say they find it hard to call this man a liar out of respect for the office. That is a bunch of bunk, when a man lies as much as this fraud lies, the office has lost the respect of the people. When the Pervert in Chief declared he “didn’t have sex with that woman” and it was later discovered that he did indeed have sex with her in the Oval Office, the respect for the office ended up on the blue dress.

Bruskie

Great Point. Now we need to ask ourselves. Were we better off, as a whole country, in 1960, or are we better off today? If we answer honestly a patriotic idealist my not be a bad thing!

keith hart

Obama the marxist / alinsky transformer. Wanting to chastise us, as well. And turn us all into good, little socialist drones. Obama, not anything even remotely like JFK is more comparable to Damien Thorn.

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